vision

[calescent]

Kiri's up early the next morning, restless with various low-level simmering concerns, and wanders out of her room.

Comments

[free_flowing]

Awww. He giggles again. Fluffy hugs!

[salt_of_the]

"I can get you one if you want one. Sounds lonely being out here if you haven't even hired anybody, yeah?"

[free_flowing]

"Nah, I don't want a dog. But I'll cuddle yours while he's here. You are cute and fluffy," he informs Mud.

[salt_of_the]

Mud licks him again.

"Suit yourself. So Thiyec, huh?"

[free_flowing]

"Thiyec! I liked Thiyec. I miss Thiyec," he says. "I had a little house by a pond and most everybody in the village liked me and nobody gets upset if you walk around naked in public there, it was pretty much Paradise."

[salt_of_the]

Patience spends a discreet second (during which Mud continues to lick Loel) contemplating a mental image, then says, "So Kiri had to drag you back kicking and screaming, or you doing okay here too?"

[free_flowing]

"Kind of... yes and yes? And also no and no," he says. "It's complicated. I really didn't want to go back when she showed up and told me everything, but then I - did something to see if I could change my mind, because I knew it was important, and that helped enough that I came here. And I'm okay being here, I like having prime powers, I'm getting along with the people I buy food from and write letters to, I'm really excited about my moat - but I wish I didn't have to be. It's hard and it's a lot of responsibility and I have complicated feelings and it would all be much simpler if I'd never inherited the primacy in the first place."

[salt_of_the]

"I guess. Well, now I know why I had to come all the way out here to meet you instead of Chialto, I guess you don't want to personally fuel the rumor mill for the next quintile?"

[free_flowing]

"Yeah. I'm going with the 'subtle campaign of lies' approach."

[salt_of_the]

"You weren't really kidnapped by agents of a secret cult, were you."

[free_flowing]

"I really wasn't," he sighs, absently giving Mud scritches.

[salt_of_the]

"Do you not wanna tell me?"

[free_flowing]

"I don't know if I wanna tell you. I don't know if you wanna know," he says. "Most people who find out seem to regret it some way."

[salt_of_the]

"You're okay now though. Right?"

Mud leaves off licking Loel and goes back to Patience, where he nudges his head under her hand until she starts scratching his ears.

[free_flowing]

"Yeah. I mean..." he shrugs; sighs; repeats, "Yeah."

[salt_of_the]

"Okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna. Whole thing is secret from people who aren't Ardelay twins - just the twins, not Jayce?"

[free_flowing]

"Just the twins, yeah."

[salt_of_the]

"Okay. Anything else I should know before I meet the other new primes?"

[free_flowing]

"Guess not," he says.

[salt_of_the]

"Okay. Where are they at?"

[free_flowing]

"Back of the house, I think. By the way, is it just me or were you imagining me naked a minute ago?"

[salt_of_the]

"Was that not the point of bringing up how you lived in a clothing-optional country?"

[free_flowing]

"That was not the point of that! I actually just really liked living in a clothing-optional country and now I miss it," he says, laughing. "But I don't mind. Imagine me naked all you want."

[salt_of_the]

"Probably not if I'm gonna go see Kiri in like a minute."

[free_flowing]

He giggles. "Going to see Kiri right this minute is technically optional!" he points out, leaning back on his hands. (He hasn't bothered standing up yet since saying hello to Mud.) "I'm sure they can keep playing cards without us."